Shoulder-pad for violins, &amp;c.



H. F. FISHER. SHOULDER PAD FOR VIOLINS, 61c. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 30, 1920.

1,377,571 v Patented May 10, 1921.

, sive wear due to the contact of the instru readily UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SHOULDER-PAD FOB"VIOLD\TS, M.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 10, 1921.

Application m March so, 1920. Serial No. 869,973.

This invention relates to a shoulder pad for correctly cushioning a violin or other musical instrument upon the players shoulder, and has for its object the provision of a device of this character which will not only provide an effective correct cushioning medium, but which will also form a protection for the players clothing against excesand of light weight, the cushioning medium within the pad for this purpose, preferably, being made of the lufia plant; and the pad being so stuffed with the cushioning medium as to retain its original shape for correctly positioning the musical instrument.

Other objects of the invention will be understood from the following description of the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved shoulder pad showing the same in position upon a players shoulder.

Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the manner in which a violin is rested upon the pad.

Fig. 3 is a front plan view of my im-,

proved shoulder pad.

Fig. 4 is an end view of the same.

Fig. 5 is a transverse section through the pad taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, my improved pad is shown as comprising a casing formed of a single piece of material consisting of a front portion 1 having upper and lower continuations thereof as shown at 2 and 3 folded back upon the front portion and meeting at approximately medially of the upper and lower edges of the front portion as shown at 4. The meeting edges of the front portion 1 with the upper and lower portions 2 and 3 of the rear portion of the casing, and themeeting edge between the upper and lower portions of the rear of the casing, are suitably united as by stitchingfi, to form a closed casing. Before the final seam to this casing is stitched, the casing is filled with a suitable cushioning medlum or packing 6. This packing may be of any suitable material such as felt, or the like, but in practice I find it desirable to employa dried vegetable growth, preferably the dried fibrous skeletonof the fruit of the luifa plant, as the packing medium, asby the use of the latter the desired cushioning qualities are obtained and at the same time the weight of the cushioningmedium is reduced to a minimum; The material forming the casing of the pad is so shaped, and the cushioning medium is packed therein in such manner, as to form a pad decreasing in thlckness from its upper to its lower edge, as clearly shown in Fig. 4. Furthermore. the pad isarran ed with its rear surface curved inwardly rom its upper to its lower edge, to conform to the contour of a mans shoulder, so that when the pad is rested uponthe shoulder it will assume a natural position thereupon. The front surface of the pad may also be curved to any desired degree which will permit of resting the mu sical instrument thereupon to the best advantage for correctly positioning the latter.

When in use the pad is placed upon the shoulder, either beneath the edge of the coat, or beneath the edge of the vest, and when in such position Wlll form an effective cushioning means, for a musical instrument such as a violin, when the latter is rested upon the shoulder.

In order to protect the clothing of the player against wear, due to the contact of the musical instrument when thus supported upon the shoulder, the pad is preferabl pro vided with a protecting strip arrange to be folded over the outside of the players coat. Such a strip is shown at 7 as projectin laterally from the edge of the shoulder pad this strip being a suitable length of any desired material, and preferably of a width approximately equal to one-half the length of the shoulder pad, and projecting from the upper portion of the shoulder ad.

In order to retain the shoul er Dad in position upon the shoulder of a player, a strip 8 similar to the strip 7, previously described, may be secured to the edge of the of the shoulder pad in any desired manner,

as by the stitching 9.

By the improved shoulder pad as thus de-- scribed, it will be seen that I provide simple but effective means for cushioning a musical instrument upon a players 'shoul der, said cushioning means having asso-- ciated therewith practical means for retaining the same in operative position, and also including a device for protecting the clothing of the player against wear as a result of contact with the musical instrument when the same is placed in playing position.

It will be apparent that various changes and modifications may be made in the combinations and arrangements of parts herein described, and I therefore do not wish to limit myself to the exact disclosures made herein.

What I claim is v 1. A violin supporting pad curved to conform to and adapted to'rest upon the shoul-- der strips extending laterally from said pad and arranged to be folded respectively back over the edge of the outer garment of the user above said shoulder pad to provide a protective covering, and inwardly beneath the users inner garment to form retaining means.

2. A violin supporting pad having a concave inner surface and a pair of strips of flexible material projecting laterally from one side of said pad, one of said strips being adapted to cooperate with the clothing of the player to retain the pad in position on the shoulder, and the other strip being adapted to form a protective covering for the garment immediatelyover the pad when the same is applied for use.

3. A violin supporting pad having a concave inner surface gradually decreasing in thickness from top to bottom, and a pair'of strips of flexible material projecting laterally from one side of said pad, one of said strips being adapted to cooperate with the clothing of the player'toretain the pad in position on the shoulder, and the other strip being adapted to-form a protective'covering for the garment immediately over the pad when the same is applied for use.

4. A device of the-class described, comprising a pad adapted to be positioned on the shoulder beneath the collar portion of a garment and a pair of strips of flexible material projecting from one edgeof said pad, one of which strips is adapted 'to be positioned beneatha portion of the players garment to retain the pad in position and the other strip is adapted to form a protective covering for the garment immediately over said pad.

In testimony whereof name tothis specification.

' HENRY F. FISHER.

I have signed my 

